The UC Santa Barbara (21-31, 7-14 Big West) baseball team has played some good baseball as of late, winning two of three for the second consecutive weekend. Despite losing the final game 12-7, the Gauchos were able to defeat Sacramento State 14-5 on Friday and 8-7 on Saturday, that capped off a season-best four game winning streak. By going 4-2 in the last two weekends, the Gauchos have moved up in the Big West rankings to seventh-place, leap frogging Pacific. The Gauchos are batting .361 over their last six games, raising their team batting average to .296. The pitching staff's ERA has been 3.69 in that span, lowing the team ERA to 6.14.

The Mustangs

Cal Poly (28-28-1, 13-8 Big West), coached by Ritch Price (8th year, 215-227-1), is coming off a 2-1 weekend against UC Riverside. Offensively, the Mustangs are batting a sizzling .318 as a team, led by the Big West's leading hitter, Brain Gant (.408, 93 H, 11 2B, 7 3B, 54 R) and Kyle Wilson (.358, 18 2B, 10 HR, 50 RBI). The pitching staff has an ERA of 5.98, led by senior Kevin Correia (10-5, 4.90, 88 K, 121.1 IP), and Tyler Fitch (7-4, 4.67,46 K, 104 IP). The Gauchos and Mustangs have already met twice this season, with UCSB coming out on top at home in the first game, 11-4, and Cal Poly taking the second game at their home, 8-1. The two rivals have been playing against each other since 1942, with the Gauchos owning a 95-68 advantage in the series.

Gaucho Probable Starters

1B * Josh McCanne * Is one of three Gauchos to start all 52 games.
2B * Chris Malec * Second all-time for a Big West freshman with 58 RBI.
SS * Dave Licht * Went 3-for-6 with three RBI on Saturday against the Tigers.
3B * Nate Sutton * Went 7-for-13 with four runs and four RBI last weekend.
LF * Blair Havens * Reached base 8 times and scored 6 runs in the Sacramento State series.
CF * Ryan Spilborghs * Second in the Big West with 55 runs scored.
RF * Matt Wilkerson * Big West record holder for home runs by a freshman with 16 so far.
C * Taylor Vogt * Is 8-for-20 with seven runs scored and two doubles in last six games..
DH * Matt Stevens * 8-for-18 (.444) vs. right-handed pitching this year.
LHP * Sean Thompson * Pitched 6 innings, striking out 8 to pick up win against Sac St.
RHP * Eric Posthumus * Went seven innings, striking out 5 to win team-leading 6th game.
RHP * Matt Vasquez * Leads team with 65 strikeouts, 93.1 innings pitched and 15 starts.

What About Bob?

Bob Brontsema is in his ninth season as Gaucho skipper. He owns a career record of 237-239 (.499). Brontsema is coming off his best coaching season at UCSB guiding the Gauchos to a 40-17 record, good for the best single season winning percentage (.702) at UCSB since 1986. The 40 wins were the most by a UCSB team since 1990. For his efforts, Brontsema was named Big West Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. Brontsema has posted three straight over-.500 campaigns, the school's first such achievement since 1992.

Swingin' It

In the last two weekends, the Gauchos have out-hit their opponents 83-49 (.361-to-.237). The number of quality hits have also been far more than their opponents, UCSB has 26 extra-base hits compared to 13 by their opponents. They have also managed to out score Pacific and Sacramento State 60-to-39. Eight of the nine Gaucho starters batted .360 or higher in those six games, led by shortstop Dave Licht (14-for-24) and left fielder Blair Havens (11-for-27).

Pitching Corps Improving

The Gauchos have a team ERA of 3.69 in the last six games, which has lowered their team ERA from 6.46 to 6.14. Freshman Eric Posthumus is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA in 16 innings pitched in his two starts. Junior left-hander, Sean Thompson is 1-0 with a 3.07 ERA in 14.2 innings of work in his two starts. Senior James Garcia did not allow a run in two appearances, while picking up a save on Saturday against Sacramento State.

They're So Hot Right Now

Offensively, junior left fielder Blair Havens and senior shortstop Dave Licht are on fire. Since being inserted into the starting lineup in mid-season, Havens has gone on to lead the team with a .368 batting average. Havens is currently in the midst of a 11 game hitting streak, going 17-for-46 (.369) with 14 runs scored and five doubles in that span. Havens also leads the Gauchos with 23 runs scored and 32 hits in Big West Action. Licht, the Gauchos most dangerous bat at the moment, has raised his batting average 29 points in his last six games, by going 14-for- 26 (.526) , to go with 11 RBI. Against Sacramento State, Licht pummeled the Hornets for nine hits in 14 at-bats, good for a .692 average. The Huntington Beach, Calif., native also had seven RBI, two doubles and two stolen bases in the series.

Last Friday, for the first time all season, the Gauchos won the opening game of a series 15-4, against Sacramento State. Prior to the Sacramento series, UCSB had lost the opening game in all ten of their three-game series.

Gaucho Pitching Notes

* Junior left-hander Sean Thompson leads the Gauchos with 50.2 innings pitched in Big West action. Thompson has struck out eight batters in both of his last two starts.

* Freshman right-hander Eric Posthumus is 3-0 in his last three decisions and leads the team with six wins. Threw complete game five hitter, in 18-2 win over Pacific.

* Junior right-hander Matt Vasquez took the loss against Cal Poly in only three innings of work on March 24. Vasquez has struck out 13 batters in his last two starts.

* Senior James Garcia has returned to action since missing most of the season with shoulder troubles. The Torrance, Calif., native has not allowed a run in his last three appearances and homered on May 5 vs. UC Riverside as a designated hitter.

* Senior Jeremy Sugarman has given up only five earned runs in his last 15 innings pitched, while striking out 15, in his last six appearances.

* Junior James Dayley, has returned from a back injury that has kept him from pitching for two months. Has appeared in four of the last six games, giving up one earned run in 4.1 innings for a 2.08 ERA.

* Freshman Mike Sutherland struck out the side in his one inning against Sac State.

Gaucho Infielder Notes

* First baseman Josh McCanne is tied for the Gaucho lead with 17 RBI in Big West action. Has nine runs, eight RBI and two homers in last six games.

* Second baseman Chris Malec went 5-for-12 (.417) with four RBI and three runs against Sac State. Malec has eight doubles in Big West action.

* Shortstop Dave Licht went 4-for-4 with three RBI and two stolen bases on Friday against the Hornets.

* Third baseman Nate Sutton keyed a six-run third inning with his first career grand slam, in the Gauchos 8-7 win last Saturday.

* Third baseman/designated hitter Matt Stevens leads the Gauchos with a .371 batting average and has started in five of the last eight games.

* The Gauchos fastest runner off the bench, shortstop Josh Fulton singled and scored a run in his last appearance on Friday.

Gaucho Outfielder Notes

* Left fielder Blair Havens scored six runs in the Sacramento State series. Havens has reached base 57% of the time, when leading off an inning.

* Center fielder Ryan Spilborghs leads the Gauchos with 55 runs scored, five triples, 38 walks. Spilborghs is currently mired in a 3-for-21 slump in his last six games.

* Right fielder Matt Wilkerson is 10-for-27 (.360) in his last six games with three doubles and a homer, to go with six runs and six RBI in that span.

* Senior R.J. Smith got the start in left on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with two doubles.

* Senior Andy Campanella, who has been out for most of the second-half of 2002 with hamstring injuries, flied out to right in his only at-bat of the Sac St. Series.

2001 Gauchos In The Pro's

The Gauchos had 10 players off their 2001 squad sign professional contracts. Of those, here is an update of how some of them are doing so far in 2002. Former lefty starter Jim Bullard (9th rd, Chicago White Sox) is 3-4 with 2.45 ERA in eight starts for the Winston Salem Warthogs in the Carolina League (High A). Bullard has 37 strikeouts in 51.1 innings and has only given up one home run. Former shortstop Jeff Bannon (18th rd, Cincinnati) is currently batting .299 with 44 hits, nine doubles and 27 runs in 40 games with the Stockton Ports, in the California League (High A). Four year starter at second base and all-time UCSB hits leader, Chad Peshke (33rd rd, Cleveland), is batting .284 with 15 RBI, five doubles and two home runs in 30 games played, for the Columbus Red Stixx in the South Atlantic League (High A). Former first baseman and UCSB single-season home run record holder, Tyler Von Schell (15th rd, San Francisco), is batting .247 with eight home runs, 28 RBI and 22 runs scored in 41 games with the Hagerstown Suns, also in the South Atlantic League (High A).

Farewell To Seven Gauchos

The Gauchos will be saying good-bye to seven seniors-Andy Campanella, James Garcia , Dave Licht , Matt Moran (Chico, Calif.), Rob More (Torrance, Calif.), R.J. Smith (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and Jeremy Sugarman (Malibu, Calif.). In addition, it will most likely be junior Ryan Spilborghs' last series as a Gaucho, as he is expected to be drafted in the 2002 MLB Draft and will most likely sign.

* The Gauchos are at their best on Saturdays, sporting a 9-4 record on that day.

* According to Boyd's World, a collegiate baseball publication, the Gauchos have the 11th toughest schedule in the nation.

* Ryan Spilborghs is the lone returning starter from 2001 on the field for the Gauchos. UCSB had nine players drafted off last years 40-17 team.

* Gaucho freshman Chris Malec and Matt Wilkerson were teammate last year as seniors at Santa Margarita High School. The two were coached by Tip Lefebvre, brother of former Dodger and major league manager Jim Lefebvre.

* The Gauchos scored 12 runs in the fifth inning against Creighton, in a 23-10 win on Feb. 23. UCSB also had 25 hits in that game.

* Josh McCanne hit a walk-off grand-slam with two outs in the ninth, in the Gauchos 8-4 victory over Loyola Marymount, for their first win of the season on February 1.

* Ryan Spilborghs had a 35-game hitting streak in 2001. Earlier in 2002, Spilborghs had a 12-game streak. Spilborghs is second in the Big-West with 55 runs scored.

* In 2001, James Garcia became the first Gaucho to win 10 games since Santa Clara pitching coach Tom Myers did so for UCSB in 1991. Despite Garcia's 5.98 ERA, opposing hitters are batting just .238 against him this year,

* Oakland Athletic Barry Zito pitched his freshman season at UCSB before transferring to Pierce JC and then finishing at USC. Current Texas Ranger second baseman, Mike Young, was a teammate of Zito's at UCSB in 1997.